Sony Hikes PS5 Price To Cover Tariffs And Gamers Are Furious

Sony has announced a $50 price hike for all three versions of its flagship video game console, the PlayStation 5, in the United States — and social media is furious. The company previously confirmed President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war could lead to rising prices.

Sony’s vice president of global marketing, Isabelle Tomatis, broke the news Wednesday.

“Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,” she wrote. “As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting August 21.”

Buyers will now have to shell out $549.99 for a base model, which originally cost $500 when it hit stores in 2020, and spend almost $500 for a “Digital Edition,” which doesn’t contain a disc drive and initially cost $450 — or spend about $750 for the coveted “Pro” version.

The Japanese company didn’t mention Trump’s tariffs on U.S. imports Wednesday, but it did acknowledge them in May — when Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao confirmed in an earnings call with investors that Sony might “pass on” the cost of the tariffs to consumers.

Gamers on social media were shocked by the ramifications of Trump’s trade war.

“I want to point out that while trump is 100% to blame, Sony could 1000000% just eat those tariff charges if thats all they’re bumping it up to,” one person argued Thursday on X, while another wrote plainly: “Gamers who voted for Trump did this to you all. Dummies.”

The debate seems entrenched in these camps, with one side blaming Sony for passing the buck and another lambasting Trump for his trade war. Another faction, meanwhile, is just plain baffled that a five-year-old console can be so darn expensive in the first place.